Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: Active Listening and Summarizing (TEKS.ELA.8.1.A)
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Texas 8th Grade ELA › Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: Active Listening and Summarizing (TEKS.ELA.8.1.A)
Good morning. My research explores how screen time affects eighth graders' sleep quality. First, in a survey of 98 students, 71 percent reported using phones within 30 minutes of bedtime, and those students averaged 6.4 hours of sleep. Second, blue light exposure delays melatonin; a small trial I ran with light-filtering settings showed participants fell asleep about twenty minutes faster. Third, notifications keep brains alert. During a two-week log, nights with more than five alerts correlated with two extra wake-ups. Finally, students who set a consistent cutoff—9 p.m. or earlier—reported feeling more focused in class. My conclusion: limiting late-night screens and silencing notifications may improve sleep, but I recommend a larger sample and tracking for a full month to confirm. I welcome questions and suggestions.
Which question would best clarify the speaker's methods or extend their key points about sleep and screen use?
What percentage used phones within 30 minutes of bedtime?
Can you tell us about the history of smartphones?
When you say "light-filtering settings," what specific changes did participants make, and for how many nights did you test them?
Do you think teachers should ban phones at school?
Explanation
Option C requests details about the intervention and duration, which clarifies the evidence and builds on the speaker's key point about blue light. A merely repeats information already given; B is irrelevant and overly broad; D shifts to school policy instead of deepening understanding of the research.
Today I'm presenting on how the 1900 Galveston hurricane reshaped local governance and urban planning. First, death toll estimates exceed 6,000, making it the deadliest U.S. natural disaster; city records show whole wards destroyed. Second, the commission form of government replaced the mayor-council system, concentrating decision-making for recovery; minutes from 1901 meetings document faster approvals. Third, engineers built a seawall and raised street grades; photographs and elevation maps indicate some areas lifted over four feet. Fourth, tourism and shipping gradually recovered, but Galveston never regained its pre-storm dominance, as Houston's port expanded inland. My takeaway: disasters can catalyze structural reforms. I recommend comparing tax records before and after 1900 to measure whether the commission model actually sped up infrastructure spending. I welcome questions about sources.
Which clarifying question best helps interpret the speaker's claims about governance changes after the 1900 Galveston hurricane?
Which specific tax records or budget ledgers would you analyze to test whether approvals and spending truly accelerated under the commission model?
How many people died in the storm again?
Can you explain every hurricane that hit Texas?
Do you think modern theme parks help tourism today?
Explanation
Option A asks for precise sources and metrics to evaluate a key claim, deepening comprehension. B repeats stated facts; C is overly broad and off-task; D changes the topic to modern entertainment rather than the governance reforms discussed.
Hello, my topic is food waste in our school cafeteria and how a share table might reduce it. First, during a five-day audit, we weighed leftovers and documented 86 pounds of unopened items, mostly milk and whole fruit. Second, interviews with staff showed health code concerns; however, district guidelines permit a monitored share table for sealed or unbitten items. Third, when a comparable middle school adopted one, their waste dropped 28 percent over six weeks, according to their custodial logs. Fourth, our survey of 120 students found 64 percent would use a share table to swap items they don't want. My proposal: pilot the table for one month, track daily weights, and review any nurse reports about food safety. Thanks for listening and thoughtful feedback.
Which question would best clarify how the proposed share table would work and strengthen understanding of the plan?
How many pounds did you record?
What is your favorite fruit?
Could you talk about recycling plastics?
What criteria will you use to decide which items are safe for the share table, and how will you document any exceptions during the pilot?
Explanation
Option D requests specific safety criteria and documentation steps, directly extending the speaker's proposal. A repeats data already reported; B is irrelevant; C changes the topic from share tables to recycling.
Hi, my research examines Rio Grande water rights and how drought allocation affects Texas farmers and cities. First, treaty agreements and state compacts divide flows among the U.S., Mexico, and irrigation districts; recent shortages triggered delivery disputes. Second, data from 2010–2023 show below-average snowpack in the headwaters, reducing spring runoff. Third, municipal demand in fast-growing border cities has risen, so utilities purchase or lease agricultural rights; El Paso's utility reports expanded conservation and desalination projects. Fourth, farmers adopting drip irrigation saved water but faced upfront costs; extension reports show yield stability in chili and cotton trials. My recommendation: compare per-acre allocations under different drought stages and model trade-offs between urban supply and farm income to inform fairer policies. I invite clarifying questions and constructive ideas.
Which clarifying question would best help you interpret the speaker's model of drought trade-offs and build on their recommendations?
Which border cities have rising demand, as you mentioned?
When modeling trade-offs, what data will you use to estimate farm income changes versus municipal conservation savings during each drought stage?
How do ocean tides work?
Can you cover every water law in Texas?
Explanation
Option B probes the data and approach for the proposed model, enhancing understanding of the recommendation. A repeats information already provided; C is irrelevant; D is overly broad and off-topic.
Today I'm presenting our science club's research on heat around our campus. First, we mapped surface temperatures using an infrared thermometer at noon for two weeks, finding the blacktop averaged 122 degrees while the shaded lawn averaged 91. Second, we measured air temperature at chest height; the courtyard with three live oaks stayed four degrees cooler than the parking lot. Third, we tested a small intervention: placing two shade sails over benches dropped seat temperature by 15 degrees on sunny days. Finally, we recommend expanding tree canopy and using light-colored, permeable pavement to reduce heat and puddling. Our data are limited to fall months and school-day hours, so future measurements at different times and seasons would help confirm patterns and guide decisions for campus planners.
Which clarifying question would best help you interpret the speaker's recommendations and build on their findings?
So the blacktop was 122 degrees, right?
When you recommend light-colored, permeable pavement, which measurements would you collect next to confirm it reduces both heat and puddling, and at what times of day?
What brand and model was your infrared thermometer?
Do you think climate change is causing heat waves everywhere?
Explanation
Choice B extends the speaker's ideas by asking how to verify the recommended solutions with specific measurements and timing, which deepens understanding. A just restates a detail, C seeks irrelevant technical info, and D changes the topic.
My history project examines how Texas manages water during drought. First, I looked at the Colorado River basin, where city utilities and rice farmers downstream compete for releases from the Highland Lakes. Second, I read local water management plans showing that during severe drought, emergency orders can cut agricultural releases to protect municipal supply. Third, I interviewed a city councilmember, who explained how conservation ordinances—like watering schedules and tiered pricing—reduce demand. Finally, I compared 2011 drought data to 2023, finding per-person water use fell, but population growth keeps total demand high. I want to know whether newer agreements balance ecological needs for river flow with human uses. My sources include state agency reports, newspaper archives, and two oral histories from affected families in Central Texas.
Which question best clarifies the speaker's focus on balancing water uses and helps build meaningfully on their research?
So during severe drought, farms get less water?
Can you list every drought in Texas history?
What is your favorite lake to visit?
Could you clarify which ecological flow targets or habitat indicators you will use to judge whether recent agreements balance river health with municipal and agricultural use?
Explanation
Choice D asks for specific indicators to evaluate the balance the speaker is investigating, which clarifies methods and extends their analysis. A merely restates a point, B is overly broad and off-task, and C is irrelevant.
For my media literacy presentation, I analyzed how teens in our school share news on social apps. First, a survey of 120 students showed 68 percent read headlines without opening links. Second, I traced a viral post about a local school policy to its original source; it turned out to be a year-old draft, not the final rule. Third, I tested three verification strategies: reverse image searches, checking dates, and comparing two reputable outlets. Reverse searches helped catch recycled photos twice. Finally, I suggest a three-step routine before reposting: read the full article, check the date, and verify with one additional source. Limitations include self-reported data and one-week sampling. Next, I want to try peer workshops to see if habits change over a longer period.
Which clarifying question would most effectively build on the speaker's next steps and help interpret their plan?
How will you measure whether peer workshops actually change students' reposting habits, and what criteria will show improvement?
So 68 percent read only headlines, right?
Which social app do you personally like best?
Should schools ban phones during the day?
Explanation
Choice A invites the speaker to specify metrics and criteria for evaluating the workshops, deepening comprehension of their plan. B just restates a statistic, C is irrelevant, and D shifts to a different debate.
My science report explores wind energy growth in West Texas and its trade-offs. First, installed capacity in the region has increased, and turbines now supply a significant share of the state's electricity on windy nights. Second, I reviewed studies showing that spacing turbines and adjusting cut-in speeds can reduce bird and bat impacts. Third, transmission lines matter: new lines let remote wind farms send power to cities, but they face landowner concerns about routes. Finally, I modeled a school-sized scenario: replacing one old gas boiler with renewable electricity would cut our campus emissions and costs during off-peak hours. Limits include not analyzing maintenance downtime or extreme weather. Next steps are interviewing grid operators about reliability during heat waves and how storage could support wind generation.
Which clarifying question best helps you interpret the model and meaningfully extend the speaker's analysis?
So transmission lines let wind power reach cities?
What's the tallest wind turbine ever built?
For your school model, what assumptions about electricity prices, wind availability, and off-peak hours did you use, and how would changing them affect the cost and emissions results?
Is nuclear energy better than wind?
Explanation
Choice C seeks key assumptions and sensitivity, which clarifies the model and strengthens interpretation. A merely repeats a stated point, B is irrelevant trivia, and D changes the topic.